1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile having a movable roof movable from a normal position above a passenger's compartment, and a vertically movable trunk lid having a roof storage region for storing the movable roof that has moved from the normal position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese patent publication No. 3-79429 discloses an automobile having a trunk lid lifting and lowering device for lifting and lowering a trunk lid while maintaining the trunk lid substantially horizontally, a roof sliding device for bringing the rear end of a movable roof into engagement with the trunk lid to slide the movable roof back and forth, and a roof storage region defined in the trunk lid for storing the movable roof therein.
When the movable roof is mounted in its normal position, the rear end of the movable roof is superimposed on the upper surface of a fixed roof or roll bar. When the trunk lid is lifted, sliders move forwardly in the trunk lid until lock shafts joined to the sliders are fitted into respective holes that are defined in the rear end of the movable roof. The movable roof is then locked on the lock shafts by a lock device disposed on the upper surface of the roll bar. Then, the trunk lid is elevated again with the movable roof lifted off the roll bar, and the sliders are moved rearwardly to slide the movable roof into the roof storage region in the trunk lid. Subsequently, the trunk lid with the movable roof stored therein is lowered.
When the movable roof is thus stored in the trunk lid, the lock device on the roll bar is exposed to view, thus making the roll bar poor in appearance.
A water seal may be mounted on the front edge of the roll bar to seal the joint between the front edge of the roll bar and the rear end of the movable roof when the movable roof is positioned over the passenger's compartment. The lock device on the roll bar is then positioned behind the water seal. Therefore, when the movable roof is closed, rainwater tends to enter the lock device.
When the trunk lid is lowered closing the trunk, the rear end of the trunk lid is fixed to the automobile body by a lock. Since, however, no lock is available to secure the front end of the trunk lid to the automobile body, the front end of the trunk lid is liable to fluctuate due to vibrations of the automobile and wind pressure applied thereto while the automobile is running.
Another water seal may be disposed between the automobile body and the entire peripheral edge of the movable roof for preventing water from entering the passenger's compartment. At the time the movable roof moves into and out of the trunk lid, it is supported in a cantilevered fashion by the lock shafts that engage the rear end of the movable roof. Thus, the front end of the movable roof as it moves into and out of the trunk lid is apt to drop due to gravity into physical interference with the water seal.